Just ran across a new book "Gastroanomalies-Questionable Culinary Creations from teh Golden Age of American Cookery" (Crown) by one James Lileks! Mr Lileks has compiled the most atrocious collection of recipes from an era when Mexican meant a bit of pepper in tomato juice and ketchup reigned supreme. When Italian meant someone in the room had once breathed the word--oregano! When pizza crusts could be happily fashioned from crushed saltine crackers! But the one that leaps out at me is THE BURNING BUSH---a simple confection made of balls of Philadelphia Cream Cheese rolled in finely chopped dried beef and skewered into a grapefruit!! Now doesn't that give you some ideas what to prepare your sweetie come Valentines Day!! I mean that recipe just screams ROMANCE!_________________Vivant Linguae Mortuae!!

Well it certainly screams something... tho' are you sure you meant romance?!!

I am old enough to remember when in the UK a curry meant minced lamb with tomatoes and... raisins in! It was thought exotic apparently. We used to be offered it in school and I ALWAYS went for something else!!!!

When mum worked in a school during the 70s once, she was offered this as a 'curry'. So she offered to show them what a real curry was and they were not happy. Why after all would an Indian woman know more about curry than English people?!!! That really made her cross, but amused us considerably._________________Confusion comes fitted as standard.

I don't think I ever laughed as hard as the first time I saw the Gallery of Regrettable Foods!

Quote:

When mum worked in a school during the 70s once, she was offered this as a 'curry'. So she offered to show them what a real curry was and they were not happy. Why after all would an Indian woman know more about curry than English people?!!! That really made her cross, but amused us considerably.

You know, Steve and I just had Indian for lunch the other day and were wondering how much of what's served here as "Indian" is stuff that was made for an English palate.

I know we have a significant Indian population in our area of LA and the restaurants are all staffed by ethnically Indian people. But I still wonder if the menus aren't edited for Western sensibilities or weren't developed for the English generations ago during the colonial period. I mean the very fact that you can order beef must tell us something.

Damned if I'll ever know since all the Indian food I've ever had has been prepared here in CA._________________God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

I suspect you're probably (regrettably) right Rainey, seeing as how Chicken Tikka Masala, the worlds most popular Indian dish, was actually created in the UK. I believe that curry in may regions in India was traditionally quite mild, unlike the tongue-burners now avaliable.

Erin - on the topics of gherkins, you and Bridget are so right! I'm not sure why but if more than 6 members of my family convene, then a large jar of gherkins is a must, as well as pickled onions, and pickled beetroot. I don't even really like these foods, but I usually eat them and I've got several jars in my cupboard, just in case!

I think that, if presented with tongue or "burning bush" on Valentines Day, I would promptly end the relationship!

OK. This is NOT a tasteless joke. Tasteless...probably. But not a joke.

Somewhere, hidden in a box I cannot at the moment find, I have a cookbook of screamingly funny "American recipes" from the 1950s. Among these gems is the following salad (their term, not mine) for a "ladies' lunch":

Place a leaf of lettuce on a plate. On the lettuce leaf, place a slice of canned pineapple. Into the round hole in the pineapple slice, stand half of banana (pointed end UP). Drop a dollop of mayonnaise onto the end of the banana and position a maraschino cherry on the tip. (I think it's supposed to resemble a candle. Uh huh...)

Some ladies. Some lunch. One does wonder how one begins to eat this treat...

If I can locate this book, I will report back with the title. Truly, I did not make this up.

georgia...think of how those ladies would react to a little vertical sashimi pile with sauce dots squirted (artfully) 'round the plate.
Or a "deconstructed" dessert..
Actually I hear that both of the above presentations are last year anyway.

Joined: 18 Oct 2004Posts: 1654Location: Within view of Elliot Bay, The Olympics and every ship in the Sound

Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:17 pm Post subject:

Nikki, that is awesome and similar to my mother's compulsion for displaying whole canned black olives (perfect for fitting on one's fingers), and sliced pickles. I think I have finally broken her of that though.

Georgia, That recipe is hilarious! I did a charity thing for the "ladies who lunch" and even though they don't actually eat, that would send them in their stuffy Chanel suits and American Express Black Cards running slowly from the room.

I just broke out my grammy's 1962 Better Homes and Garden's cookbook and found one called "Perfection Salad". It consists of pimentos, olives, celery, shredded cabbage, quite a bit of sugar all put into a gelatin mold and decorated with carrots and green pimento stuffed olives. I wish I could show you this nightmare on a plate._________________"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

Joined: 29 Sep 2004Posts: 1196Location: buried under a pile of books somewhere in Adelaide, South Australia

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:56 am Post subject:

Ewww, gelatin. I'm very pleased you can't show us that nightmare on a plate, Erin. It would give us all nightmares for certain!_________________Doing what you like is freedom
Liking what you do is happiness

The old pictures are funny, but I think in many cases it's photography and poor-quality color film that's to blame, not the food. There is some very tasty ham that looks awfully purplish in real life!

I've got an old set of cookbooks from Women's Day-- as American housewifey as can be, but nothing less than tasty has come from it yet--even though the picture might make it look like a wagonwheel...or something..

Beef is commonly found in Kerala a predominantly Catholic state in India. The Muslim community in India also consume beef. Having traveled extensively in India, I can safely tell you the food is VERY spicy in the South and moderate in the North.

Joined: 29 Sep 2004Posts: 1196Location: buried under a pile of books somewhere in Adelaide, South Australia

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:56 pm Post subject:

Canned black olives .... well, I'd rather have a nice 'fresh' kalamata over a canned olive any day, but one of the kids who came camping with us ate a whole can for breakfast one morning. So you're not completely alone, gingerpale._________________Doing what you like is freedom
Liking what you do is happiness